Summer/August:

What you could do:

1.     Start prepping for standardized tests you don’t plan on taking until December or even later.
2.     To be honest, this isn’t a completely ridiculous idea given the fact that you are bound to surrender all your subsequent time to school and stress and becoming a child philanthropist once the school year commences.

What you should do:

2.     Complete a decent amount of community service.
3.     Don’t just say that you are “dedicating your summer to community service” as an alternative to suffering through another summer job and then proceed to sit around all summer…not speaking from personal experience or anything.
4.     But seriously, colleges apparently like to see that you’re a selfless person—even if you’re not and it’s all a façade.
5.     Take a deep breath.
6.     Trust me, you’ll thank yourself—and me—later during one of your many foreshadowed mental breakdowns.

The School Year:

Okay, here you are, in all your newly designated upperclassman glory. Take it in, because it’s not going to be like the movies, kid. Sure, there will be parties every other weekend and opportunities to let loose; however, there will be weekends of pure torture and weeks of no sleep accompanied by all your teachers deciding to conspire against your sanity as they assign 500 assignments and propose 6 different exams.

It’s time to store some extra sanity; you’re bound to run out by January.

1. (N/A if you don’t participate in a sport) Manage your time between sports and school and extracurriculars wisely.
   1. Reduce your stress: If you’re missing a test, a quiz or a lab, make plans to make it up, but don’t give yourself extra stress about having that missing assignment during your game/race/etc.

2. Become friends with your teachers.

1. Junior year is the year you start looking for letters of recommendation for college. Forming close bonds with your teachers, and trying not to piss them off with your constant obsession with your grade, will benefit you in the long run.

3. Make friends with the senior class.

1. Why? They went through the exact grueling process that you are about to endure, and, chances are, they can provide you with better advice and help in academics than a parent or tutor.
   1. BUT don’t make ALL of your friends seniors, because once they leave, you’ll be left with no one; therefore, it’s important to have a balance.

4. STUDY (but not too much)

1. In case you were born yesterday, junior year is a critical year and colleges weigh your performance heavily.
   1. But don’t spend all your time just on academia: Join a club or sport, find an area of community service that you enjoy, and find time to relax at the beach.
2. DON’T SACRIFICE SLEEP FOR STUDYING
   1. Going to bed at 12 a.m., 1 a.m., or later every night is not going to improve your grades…or your mood.

Hopefully you read this and decide to take at least one piece of advice as you enter junior year. Remember your ACT score and GPA don’t define your entire existence, and set aside one millisecond (at least) to have some fun. Good luck!